Fuel supply regulating and modifying apparatus



April 11, 1950- R. H. FLOYD 2,503,943

FUEL SUPPLY REGULATING AND MODIFYING APPARATUS Filed May 10, 1946 INVENTOR. ic m H Hora i atented Apr. 11, 1950 in FUEL SUPPLY REGULATING AND MODIFYING APPARATUS Ray H. Floyd, Los Angeles, Calif.

W Application May 10,1946, Serial No. 668,851

This invention relates to apparatus for regulating and modifying the fuel supplied to the carburetors of internal combustion motors and has for one of its objects the provision of means interposed between the'usual fuel pump and the 4 Claims. (01. 137-68) l per end and a discharge opening 3 at its lower end.

float chamber of a' carburetor which will operate as a surge absorbing chamber thereby effecting delivery of fuel to the carburetor at a substantially constant rate of flow.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above character which is so constructed and arranged as to permit ready installation in the fuel supply systems of motor vehicles.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a how regulating means of the above described character in which a float controlled valve is interposed between the fuel supply pump and. the carburetor, which valve operates in the presence of an excess supply of fuel to momentarily reduce the output of the fuel pump with elimination of the danger of supplying an excessively rich mixture to the motor with the attendant deleterious results of loss of power, carbon forma tion and oil dilution and the like. I

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a simple float and valve device in which the component parts thereof serve as the means for attaching and mounting said deviceon the wall of the float chamber.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means associated with said valve unit which means serves simultaneously to maintain the float assembled with the unit and to support a supply of granular or permeable fuel-modifying material through which fuel must pass enroute' from the pump to the carburetor.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the combination,construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is a side elevation, partly in section of an illustrative embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, the cover plate or cap being removed, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the component elements of the invention removed from the container or reservoir with which they are associated.

The form of the invention here shown comprises a vertically disposed .cylindricaltank or reservoir I having an inletopening 2 near its up- The inlet opening is adapted to be connected by means including a line 4 and a valve body 5 with the discharge side of a fuel pump 6 such as is commonly associated with the motors of motor vehicles and the like, while the discharge side is provided with a fitting 'I'threaded therein from which a line 8 leads to the float chamber of a carburetor 9.

The valve body 5 is externally threaded at one end as at It and this threaded end extends through the inlet opening 2 and is screwed into a bracket element ll disposed within the tank I and lying against the curved inner wall thereof, said bracket element having its outer face curved to conform tothe wall of the tank whereby to resist turning movement; Outsidethe tank wall, thethreaded end In of the valve body is provided with a washer l2 and a lock nut 13 to rigidly secure the valve body to the wall of the tank after the valve body has been screwed into the bracket element ll. At its other end the valve body member 5 is internally threaded to receive a jam nut 14 which is in engagement with a conventional compression coupling gasket 15 fitted on the end of the line 4 which projects into and through the nut l4.

The externally threaded end of the valve body 5 is provided with a bore [6, in which bore a valve member I! is mounted for reciprocatory movement. Preferably, the valve member I! is made of circular stock of approximately the same diam eter as the bore "5 with three or more sides thereof flattened to provide clearance for fluid flow while the intervening lands provide guidance for the valve member. Axiallydisposed with the bore l6 and extending from the bottom thereof to the internally threaded end of the valve body is a smallvbore l8, the shoulder between the bores l6 and I8 forming a seat for the conical valve seat end of the valve member ll.

Immediately below the opening therein into which the valve body 5 is threaded, the bracket element l I has fixed thereto a pair of spaced laterally projectingarms I9 between which a bell crank member 20 is hingedly mounted by a cotter pin 2| or the like extending through the arms 19 and through the bell crank member 20 in the region of the angle thereof. The bell crank member comprises an upstanding arm 22 adapted to engage the valve element I1 and a laterally extending arm 23 which extends past the axis of the tank I and which in the region of said axis, is provided with a vertically disposed bore 2| through which a rod '25 'fixed to and extending in addition to its function as a steadying means for the lower end of the bracket H, is provided with a centrally disposed bore 3| through which the rod 25 extends and this bore, while being sufficiently large to permit the free movement of the rod, is sufficiently small to cooperate with the bore in the arm 24 to prevent the float from contacting the walls of the tank I.

In addition to serving as a guide for the float rod 25, the plate 29. is perforated and may serve as a support for a mass of pellets or granular or permeable material indicated at 32, which material is only slightly soluble in the fuel and by dissolving therein imparts .desirable characteristics thereto, such as the inhibition of carbon formation, improved lubrication characteristics, or other desirable qualities. It is particularly to be noted that by disposing this plate a considerable distance above the float and below the end of the inlet the material supported thereon will be out of the fuel in the tank and will not be dissolved therein while the motor is idle.

A fitting 33. connects the fitting l to the line 8 leading to the carburetor. Also the open upper end of the tank is fitted with. a frictionally engaging cover 35 which is provided with a breather hole 36 to accommodate volumetric changes within the tank.

In operation, the fuel pump generally delivers more fuel than the motor requires. Heretofore such excess fuel creates a pressure within the float chamber of the carburetor which cannot be completely or adequately resisted by the usual float controlled needle valve in the carburetor, resultingnot only in the waste of fuel but also in impairment of the efficiency of the motor through imperfect combustion, the dilution of lubricant and increased rate of carbon formation. The present invention relieves the carburetor of suchpressure since the only pressure thereon is that derived by gravity from the level maintained in the tank I by the float and valve contained therein.

The apparatus here disclosedis particularly suitable for that punpose'and is so designed as to be susceptible of economical manufacture. For example it. is to be noted that the elements comprising the valve and its operating means are per se, the means of attaching the valve and its operating means to the wallet the tank. Still further, the bracket element H being curved to conform to the inside of the tank is self-locating and self-aligning. Further, the guide member for the float rod being located above the float is enabled both to perform its primary function and to serve additionally as a support for the fuel-modifying material hereinabove referred to.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth, and the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

1. In a fuel supply regulating apparatus, the

combination of a tank having an outlet port at the bottom thereof adapted to be connected to a carburetor, an inlet port at the upper end of said tank, a horizontal valve body disposed at the upper end of said tank and projecting through a side wall thereof, a valve in said valve body having an end thereof extending into said tank, a bracket secured to the sidewall of said tank by said valve body, av float, in, said tank and devices carried by said bracket for guiding said float and operatively connecting said float with said valve.

2. In a fuel supply regulating apparatus, the combination of a tank having an outlet port at the'bottom thereof adapted to be connected to a ;carburetor, an inlet port at the upper end of said tank, a horizontal valve body disposed at the upper end of said tank and projecting through a side wall thereof, a valve in said valve body having an end thereof extending into said tank, a bracket secured to the sidewall ofsaid tank by said valve body, a float, in said tank anddevices carried by said bracket for guiding said float and operatively connecting said float with said valve, said guiding devices extending across said tank and serving additionally to steady said bracket and as a support for a soluble material to be combined with the fuel passing through said tank.

3. In a fuel supply regulating apparatus, the combination of a tank having an outlet port at the lowerend thereof adapted to be connected to .a carburetor, an inlet port adjacent the upper end of said tank, a valveybody projecting through said inlet port, a valve in said valve body having an end thereof extending into, said tank, a bracket held within said tank by means of said valve body, a float in said .tankand parts carried by said bracket for guiding said. float and operatively connecting said float with said end of said valve,

4. In a fuel supply regulating apparatus, the combination of a tank having an outlet port at the lower .end thereof adapted to be connected to a carburetor, an inlet lportadiacent the upper end of said tank, a valve body projecting through said inlet port, a valve insaid valve body having an end thereof extending into said tank, a bracket held withinsaid tank by means of said valve body, a float in said tank and parts, carried by said bracket for guiding, said float and operatively connecting said float .with saidcendof said valve, said parts on said bracket including a. perforated plate whichactsas a guide-forthe float and as a support in the upper part of the tank for a soluble material to be combined with fuel passing through said tank.

. :RAY H. FLOYD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of-record in. the file of this. patent:

UNITED STATESPAIENTS Number Name Date 1,111,335 Walden Sept. 22, 1914 1,182,940 Jay Mar. 23, 1915 1,542,912 Rockwell June 23, 1925 37,51 Brilliant anew-Fee- 19 1,785,573 Barlow Dec. 16, 1930 1,886,787 Buraglia Nov. 8, 1932 2,168,718 Scaife Aug. 8, 1939 2,232,419 Warwar 1 Feb. 18, 1941 FOREIGN-PATENTS Number Country Date 16,410 Great Britain of 1913 664,236 France Apr."22, 1929 

